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THE 

y 

iEOPLE'S fROGRESSIYD 

Spiritualist 
ASSOCIATION 

OF 

PROVIDENCE, R. I. 

OCl 18 ]894 




Copyrighted, 1894 



PROVIDENCE 

WM. R. BROWN, SOCIETY PRINTER 

1894 



TIi8 People's Progressive Spiritualist Association. 

irilTIATIOM SERVICE. 

PRESIDENT. 

One rap calls to order. 
Two raps^ oncers rise. 
Three raps., all rise. 
One rap., all be seated. 

HOW CHEERING THE THOUGHT. 

How cheering the thought, that the angels of God 
Do bow their bright wings to the world they once trod, 
Do leave the sweet joys of the mansions above. 
To breathe o'er our bosoms some message of love. 

Chorus. — Happy greeting to all. 
They come, on the wnngs of the morning they come, 
Impatient to guide some poor wanderer home. 
Some brother to lead from a darkened abode, 
And lay him to rest in the arms of his God. 

Chorus. — Happy greeting to all. 
They come when we wander, they come when we pray. 
In mercy to guard us wherever we stray ; 
A glorious cloud, their bright witness is given ; 
Encircling us here are these angels of heaven. 

Chorus. — Happy greeting to all. 
PRESIDENT. 

Will the first and second Ushers please enter 
the ante-room and see if there be any one desirous 
of joining us in the rank and file of Spiritualism, 
willing to denounce creeds and all dogmatic prin- 
ciples, and come under a ban of love and brother- 
hood. If you find such, please conduct them into 
our presence. 

Exit of first and second usher. 

BOTH USHERS. 
Arm in arm with applicant or applicaiits. 



FIRST USHER. 

Three raps on door. 

GUARD. 
Opens door. 

GUARD. 

What news, Sisters ? 

FIRST USHER. 

'Good news. 

SECOND USHER. 

We have found those who are willing to accede 
to our precepts and the teachings of the spirit 
world, in the interest of love and justice to human- 
ity, and do unto others as we would that others 
should do unto us. 

GUARD. 

Enter and bring them in, that their desires may 
be granted. Conduct them arm in arm to middle 
of room facing the President. 
All sing one verse. 

JOYFULLY, ONWARD I MOVE. 
Joyfully, joyfully, onward T move, 
Bound for the land of bright spirits above. 
Angelic choristers sing as I come, 
Joyfully, joyfully, haste to thy home ; 
Soon with my pilgrimage ended below. 
Home to the land of bright spirits I go, 
Pilgrim and stranger no more shall I roam. 
Joyfully, joyfully, resting at home. 

Wheel around to first aid. 

FIRST AID. 

Welcome, Sisters. What can I do for you ? 

FIRST USHER. 

We ask, oh Aid, that these seekers after light, 
truth and knowledge be given such instructions as 
shall promote their own happiness, that ^they may 
realize more fully from day to day, a religion whose 
aim and object is to do good and sow along the 



pathway of life the seeds of truth, that they may 
grow and unfold their petals to the bright sun- 
light of eternal love and peace to all the children of 
earth. 

FIRST AID. 

Your desires shall be granted. 

FIRST AID (to Applicant.) 

Dear Friend (or Friends) I rejoice that the veil 
has been rent and that the light and glory of the 
spirit world has descended upon you and filled your 
soul with a desire to know more of these beautiful 
truths that are so radiant with joy and gladness to 
all the world, Do you feel to rejoice with me ? 

APPLICANT OR APPLICANTS. 

Yes, I do. 

FIRST AID. 

Then I commend you to my worthy brother for 
further instruction. 

Conduct Applicant to Second Aid. 
SECOND AID. 

Sisters, what news. 

SECOND USHER. 

Worthy Aid, the friend or friends we present to 
you, are desirous of renouncing all Creeds and 
becoming one with us. 

SECOND AID. 

To you, my friend or friends, I will say that our 
religion embraces all that is grand, noble and ele- 
vating to mankind, therefore I ask of you to re- 
nounce creeds or anything that will prevent you 
from gaining the true knowledge that leads to pro- 
gression here and hereafter. 

SECOND AID (to Applicant.) 

Press forward, be steadfast and dutiful to all 



the decrees, listen to the inner voice and you shall 
rejoice that light has superceded the darkness. 
Have you considered the many obstacles you will 
have to surmount in your progress towards the real- 
ization of truth in all its beauty and fullness ? 

APPLICANT. 

' Yes. 

SECOND AID. 

Do you feel to try to overcome all difficulties 
that may arise to retard your progression and let 
your example be in harmony with the precepts you 
advocate. 

APPLICANT. 

Yes, I will. 

SECOND AID. 

May the spirit of divine love and care guide and 
guard you and help you in the fulfillment of your 
desires. 

Sisters, please lead them to the Vice-President. 
Sing : 

SPIRITUAL FELLOWSHIP. 
Blest be the tie that binds 
Our hearts in holy love ! 
The fellowship of kindred minds 
Is like to that above. 

We share our mutual vs^oes, 

Our mutual burdens bear ; 
And often for each other flows 

The sympathizing tear. 

When we asunder part 

It gives us inward pain ; 
But we shall still be joined in heart, 

And gladly meet again. 

This glorious hope revives 

Our courage by the way ; 
While each in expectation lives, 

And lonors to see the day. 



VICE-PRESIDENT. 

Worthy Sisters, what do you wish of me. 

FIRST USHER. 

We require that you instruct our Friend or 
Friends of their duties to their fellow men and 
themselves. 

CHAPLAIN. 

Amen. 

VICE-PRESIDENT (to Applicant.) 

Please repeat after me, I do solemnly prom- 
ise to acknowledge any member of this Association 
as my Brother or Sister, and treat them as such. I 
will not slander or abuse them, nor will I hear others 
do so without standing in their defence. I also 
promise to try and live an honest, upright life, and I 
solemnly swear, under no conditions, will I reveal 
the secrets of this order. 

VICE-PRESIDENT (to Applicant.) 

Remember, Friends, it is wrong for you to 
break any of the ten commands. Do you promise 
to abstain from anything that shall bring upon you 
or the cause, any reproach. 

APPLICANT. 

I do. 

We are all witnesses of your solemn obligation. 

VICE-PRESIDENT. 

Then Friend or Friends you will become one of 
us and share in equal rights our love and care and 
the light and truth from the Spirit world. 

VICE-PRESIDENT. 

Please lead them to our President for final in- 
structions. 

PRESIDENT. 

Well-beloved Sisters, thou hast been faithful— 



thy reward shall be sweet peace and joy to thy 
hearts. 

PRESIDENT (to Applicant.) 

Cast away the Creeds. 

Dear Brother or Sister, look upon the Creeds as 
the dark clouds from which has evolved the beauti- 
ful light that has filled thy soul with its rays of truth 
and happiness. We want you to be like us, to work 
for the prornulgation of truth in all its varied forms 
and conception. 

Lovers of justice and humanity, acknowledging 
ourselves to be humble instruments of a higher 
divine power, children of the great infinite Spirit, 
created under its universal law, endowed with 
faculties for growth and unfoldment in all that 
pertains to life here and beyond, fully believing in 
the continuity of the Soul or Spirit, that in accord- 
ance with demonstrated facts proved by natural law 
and science, the return of the Spirit to give knowl- 
edge and teachings of their existence beyond the 
Shadowy Vale of Death, that in the Fatherhood of 
God and brotherhood of man dedicating ourselves 
as the Temple of the living God within for the con- 
structing and upbuilding of all the enobling quali- 
ties of the mind, consonant with the wish of our 
divine parent. Sisters please escort our new and 
welcome brothers or sisters to the middle of the hall. 

Sign and password of the order to be given. 

Sing : 
WHEN THE MISTS HAVE CLEARED AWAY. 
When the mists have rolled in splendor, 

From the beauty of the hills, 
And the sunshine warm and tender, 

Falls in kisses on the rills ; 
We may read love's shining letter 



In the rainbow of the spray ; 
We sliall know each other better, 
When the mists have cleared away. 
Chorus. — We shall know, as we are known, 
Never more to walk alone, 
In the dawning of the morning. 
When the mists have cleared away. 

If we err in human blindness, 

And forget that we are dust ; 
If we miss the law of kindness, 

When we struggle to be just ; 
Snowy wings of peace shall cover 

All the pain we cause today ; 
When the weary watch is over, 

And the mists have cleared away. 
Chorus. — 

When the mists have risen above us. 

As our Father knows his own ; 
Face to face with those that love us ; 

We shall know as we are known ; 
Love beyond the orient meadows. 

Floats the golden fringe of day ; 
Heart to heart, we bide the shadows, 

Till the mists have cleared away. 
Chorus. — 

INVOCATION BY CHAPLAIN. 

Oh thou supreme intelligence that ruleth over 
all, daily we are brought into communication with 
thee through our own self-consciousness and inate 
desire of our hearts for that inspiring faith to elevate 
us and fill our souls with diviner light and knowl- 
edge. Coming as we are, out of all the dark 
shadows of the past, we feel and know that truth is 
slowly but surely dawning upon us, and we feel our 
hearts to swell with gratitude and thankfulness for 
the growth and understanding that has come 
through thy infinite power. We ask that our per- 



ceptive faculties be strengthened, that our ideal 
conceptions may culminate in the highest good for 
all, that growth in grace may characterize all our 
daily walks through life, that we be enabled to over- 
come all the obstcales that tend to retard our pro- 
gression, that the temple within be dedicated and 
sancti-fied unto the enlightenment of humanity. As 
we meet together from time to time may our hearts 
be bound together in the ties of sympathy and love. 
Working in unison we shall draw unto us the high 
intelligences, that through them we shall be better 
able to reach those on a lower plane of thought and 
raise them up to a more comprehensive idea of life 
and its duties. As we go to our homes may we take 
with us the thoughts of our dependence upon each 
other for our happiness here and hereafter. May 
the silent prayers of our hearts go out to those in 
sickness, may they go with that fullness of love and 
goodness, they may reach them, soothe and comfort 
them in their distress. Asking in faith we feel that 
we shall receive, and to the consecration of thy 
superiority we humbly bow. 

PRESIDENT. 
Addressing the whole house. 

Brothers and Sisters, please congratulate our 
new members. I now declare the meeting open to 
the public. 



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